ROW80 Check-in #87 Art Imitates Life

Posted on January 26, 2014 by S.J. Maylee

The writing challenge that knows you have a life.

My baby steps for combating burnout have led to a little breakthrough. I think it’s funny that in all the weeks I’ve tried to just do it, I wasn’t getting anywhere. It took a week of stepping back, taking little breaks, that I had the most success.

I’ve been trying to fit my schedule into something I either wasn’t ready for or just wasn’t right for me. Each step back allowed me to breathe and come back to my tasks refreshed.

I should have had a stressful week too. The evil day job and my volunteer hours were both crazy. It was no where near perfect, but I’m completely okay with that. I edited all but one day this week and in the process have worked out many issues with the WIP. I even added almost 3k.

Instead of trying to make my life imitate art, I needed to get my life straight first and the art fell into place. You got to love it. Can I do it again this week? I’m sure going to try.

The Goals – week-3 results

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done. 🙂
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting- done except for one day. I’ve tried so many times to find the right ending for my WIP and I’ve been finding this most recent attempt a bit overwhelming. The little breaks this week really helped. I worked through the plot from a completely different angle and after spending time with my characters, I think I may have found the right happy ending.
Take care of and be kind to myself (start w/ a relaxing ritual and daily breaks from technology)– done on all accounts. I’m okay. <~ This is what I needed to believe. I’m doing just fine. No, I’m not where I want to be, but that’s okay. My relaxing ritual in the morning is happening before I leave my bedroom. I’m so glad my boys are getting older because this step is actually doable. My breaks from technology happened this week too. We had a bunch of company this weekend and I was ready for them. Thank you tech breaks. Wahoo!!

My stops on the web you might have missed this week:

My bi-weekly flash at Daily Picspiration: Lucky in Love

D. Renee Bagby Presents First Chapters: Taking Chances chapter one

What you might have missed here this week:

Inside Look with Elodie Parkes author of A Little Mysterious

Spotlight: Midnight Mistletoe by Laurel Cremant

Spotlight and Review: Find Me by Ella Jade

Mid Week Tease – Her Fascinating Imagination

Flash Fiction #56 – Pleasing Colin

Posted on January 24, 2014 by S.J. Maylee

Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.

Susan pulled up her candidate’s information and put in the call to Colin’s office. She finally had a reason to talk to him again. The need to please him pumped through her and with it came the desire to stand up to the man that intimidated her.

“Hello, Susan.”

“Colin, hi.” She hadn’t expected him to answer his phone, nor was she prepared for the deep rumble of his voice. “I um … have the perfect candidate for you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Don’t mess with me, Colin. I wouldn’t be calling if I wasn’t sure.”

“When can you be here?”

Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.

J S Morbius: http://morbiussworld.blogspot.co.uk/
Naomi Shaw: http://www.authornaomishaw.com
Decadent Kane (Summer): http://decadentkane.blogspot.com/
Theresa Stuart: http://oneuniquewomanswords.blogspot.com/p/flash-fiction-firdays.html
Muffy Wilson: http://muffywilson.blogspot.com
Brantwijn Serrah: brantwijn.blogspot.com
Karen Sullivan http://wildfire8470.wordpress.com/
Michelle Howard http://www.michellehowardwrites.com
AuroraRose Andromeda: http://rollingmuseintheroses.blogspot.com/
Doris O’Connor: http://thetardisscribbles.blogspot.co.uk/
Dariel Raye – http://www.pendarielraye.blogspot.com
Pablo Michaels: http://www.pmmanmanromance.com
Jorja Lovett: http://jorja-lovett.blogspot.co.uk/
Fierce Dolan: http://www.fiercedolan.com

Mid Week Tease – Her Fascinating Imagination

Posted on January 22, 2014 by S.J. Maylee

Mid Week Tease is back with a hot new look. I love it! Since I’ve been sharing bits of Untangle Me on Sundays. I think I’ll share something from TAKING CHANCES today. It’s been a long time since I shared from this erotic romp.

This snippet is from the first chapter and follows after my last Mid Week Tease from TAKING CHANCES. Lydia has just been picked by Jake for a new project. She’s entered the room where they’ll be working. While she waits for him, she tries calming her nerves. Enjoy.

The ravine behind the building fascinated her. She took a moment to appreciate the sprawling landscape, the varying shades of green, plants and mosses covering most of the ground. Everything was coming back to life after a long winter. Several trees lined each side of the ravine, and one had fallen across the middle. An eagle soared across the sky, the hypnotic flap of the wings filling her with strength and serenity. The peaceful view slowed her raging thoughts and brought quiet peace to her senses.

Finally. She wanted to laugh for getting carried away to her dream land earlier. Naughty fantasies didn’t belong in the middle of the work day.

Jake.

Her fingers grazed the cool surface of the window, and her imagination thrust her into her earlier fantasy.

Oh boy. Jake’s not even in the room yet, lol. If you want to know what happens next. I’ve posted the whole first chapter of TAKING CHANCES over at D. Renee Bagby’s.

Click here to add TAKING CHANCES to your Goodreads TBR list

5 Star Review: “Taking Chances, is a must read for anyone who wants a great story, well written, smoking hot smexy scenes and an oh so hot hero.”

5 Star Review: ”Taking Chances is SJ Maylee’s debut novel and she does an excellent job of creating interesting characters searching for connection while providing enough kink and spice to heat things up.”

5 Star Review: “it’s well written, there’s no slw moments and it’s packed full of hot sexual tension”

BLURB:

Lydia’s father walked away from her when she was eight. She’s struggled to not let him affect her, but fears she wasn’t loveable enough to make him stay. Jake wants to love one woman, but after scaring the last woman he met outside of the club, he doubts he has the right. She protects her heart by sticking with her fantasies, and he lives by a set of rules that excludes women who choose a vanilla lifestyle.

The two will be kept in a conference room working together until their special project is complete. If Lydia and Jake hold tight to their bland lives, they’ll always yearn for love that is out of reach. But together they can find common ground, passion, and a reason to take chances. Once they discover the grand possibilities of the love they desire, they find themselves in the very place they tried never to be again, facing unguaranteed love.

BUY LINKS:

Evernight | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

BookStrand | All Romance Ebooks | Kobo | iTunes

Thank you so much for visiting me, it means a lot to me that you took the time to visit my little place on the web. To kick off the 2014 version of Mid Week Tease, Sandra Bunino is going to randomly choose one commenter to win a $10 Amazon gift certificate! So, be sure to check out all the Mid Week Teasers:

1. Sandra Bunino	2. Evie Knight	3. Doris O’Connor
4. Nicola Cameron Writes	5. Carlene Love Flores	6. London’s Scribbles
7. Casey Moss	8. Raven McAllan	9. Kiru Taye (Passion Shields Series)
10. Jenny Lyn	11. S. J. Maylee	12. Jessica Jayne
13. Elodie Parkes erotic romance	14. Siobhan Muir

Weekend Writing Warriors – Pop Quiz

Posted on January 19, 2014 by S.J. Maylee

Click the logo for the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. Today, I’m sharing from my second release, UNTANGLE ME.

Ivy is a young event planner and she’s completely smitten with her newest client, the ultra successful businessman, Seth. However, Seth is not the type of guy Ivy wants in her life. LAST WEEK: Seth’s possessiveness showed up. THIS WEEK: I’ve skipped past a sweet conversation between Seth and Ivy as they started their lunch. All is going well until Ivy’s trainer from the BDSM club decides to text her with an impromptu quiz. We’re still in Seth’s POV.

Her phone buzzed again. Not wanting anything interrupting their moment, he grasped her hand as it landed on the phone. Their eyes locked until the phone lit and the message appeared.

“Name one rule of submissive pose?”

“Are you—?”

“Oh, my.” She pulled her hand and phone from his grip. Once she turned off the screen on her phone, she threw it in her bag.

You better believe the rest of this conversation holds all kinds of fun and revelations. Come back next Sunday for another snippet or find the buy links below and read it today. Their connection is definitely real, but it may be a bit tangled. <~ You can <tweet that> if you want.

Click here to add UNTANGLE ME to your Goodreads TBR list

BLURB:

Ivy’s revenge on the people behind her family’s downward spiral is simple and it’s working. There’s no need to long for help from the wealthy business owners who turned their backs on her father. Ivy may be worn out, but she’s finding herself again after joining the local BDSM club.

Seth has it all. He has homes around the world and the little red speedster he dreamed of as a little boy, but none of the things he can buy satisfy him, not the socialites hanging on his arm or the submissives falling at his feet. Then, he hires Ivy to plan his next event.

Seth and Ivy enjoy each other’s company in and out of the planning stages for Seth’s charity event. Their playful bets lead them to a first date. When their secret kinks are revealed, the pair fall deep, but it’s not meant to last. Past hurts come back to haunt Ivy. Now, it’s time for Seth to use all he’s learned, regardless if he can win back the girl.

BUY LINKS:

Evernight | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks | BookStrand

Thank you so much for visiting me, it means a lot to me that you took the time to visit my little place on the web. Don’t forget to check out the other Weekend Warriors, the Snippet Sunday Facebook Group, and Saturday Spankings too.

ROW80 Check-in #86 Baby Steps for Preventing Burnout

Posted on January 19, 2014 by S.J. Maylee

The writing challenge that knows you have a life.

Many of my friends have been talking about burnout lately. I’ve definitely been showing the signs for some time, but have been soldiering on. Enough is enough, it’s time to figure another way.

We know moderation is the key for food choices. We also know when making changes, baby steps can be a set-up for success.

I came across a website yesterday called HelpGuide.org. Their page Preventing Burnout caught my attention. They breakdown the differences between stress and burnout. In dealing with burnout, they suggest the “three r” approach (recognize, reverse, and resilience). It’s really good stuff. My favorite section gives tips on preventing burnout. I’m very familiar with several things on this list and will continue to work on them. The two I want to add are Start the day with a relaxing ritual and Take a daily break from technology.

I’m hardly ever far from my phone and laptop. I rarely take any time for myself. No wonder I’m burning out.

I’ve recognized the issue, I’m working on reversing the effects, and it’s definitely time to work on building my resilience. It’s most definitely baby steps time.

The Goals – week-2 results

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done. 🙂
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting- almost done. The first couple days of the week, I was buried in evil day job and volunteer work. Ugh! By Wednesday, I was eager to make progress, but I let my frustrations get to me. Finally on Thursday, I started making some progress. I edited a couple of scenes and found the first scene that needs a rewrite to set the story in the direction of the new ending. I made good progress on Friday and Saturday too. There’s a happy ending.
Take care of and be kind to myself- kind of done. I’m doing a better job of letting the stress go at the end of the day, something I used to have mastered. I’m getting back to that pattern and it makes me happy. Baby steps. I’ll let you know next week how I do with adding the morning relaxing ritual and the daily break from technology.

What you might have missed here this week:

Inside Look with Alexa Bourne author of Dance Away, Danger

Spotlight: This Isn’t Goodbye by Iyana Jenna

Flash Fiction #55 – Light of My Life

Posted on January 17, 2014 by S.J. Maylee

Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.

Nathan took another step closer. His gaze never left hers as he maneuvered around the table.

“I don’t think you should come any closer.” A tingle of static danced up her spine. Jocelyn straightened her stance, not wanting to cower from her new husband.

“After what we’ve experienced, nothing could keep me from you.”

A burn of need raced through her core and her fingers itched to touch. She forced her arms down and still her palms reached for him. A flash of light twisted to life. He reached for her hand. The glow spread, wrapping them in her power.

Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! This is part of a sci-fi erotic romance I’m working on. Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.

Summer Ross: http://decadentkane.blogspot.com/
Muffy Wilson: http://muffywilson.blogspot.com
Naomi Shaw: http://www.authornaomishaw.com/
Brantwijn Serrah: http://brantwijn.blogspot.com
J S Morbius: http://morbiussworld.blogspot.co.uk/
AuroraRose Andromeda: http://rollingmuseintheroses.blogspot.com/
Pablo Michaels: http://www.pmmanmanromance.com
Leann Mitchell: http://www.leannmitchell.blogspot.com/
Dariel Raye: http://www.pendarielraye.blogspot.com
Doris O’Connor: http://thetardisscribbles.blogspot.co.uk/
Jorja Lovett: http://jorja-lovett.blogspot.co.uk/

Weekend Writing Warriors – Seth Wants More

Posted on January 12, 2014 by S.J. Maylee

Click the logo for the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. Today, I’m sharing from my second release, UNTANGLE ME.

Ivy is a young event planner and she’s completely smitten with her newest client, the ultra successful businessman, Seth. However, Seth is not the type of guy Ivy wants in her life. LAST WEEK: Seth’s concerns surfaced while he watched Ivy during their car ride to lunch. THIS WEEK: I’ve skipped ahead a little bit. I skipped over some of Seth’s sexier thoughts. Oops. Let’s see how he’s managing now.

So many things he wanted to know, but she wasn’t his to touch, yet.

Ivy stared at the latest message. He snuck a look at her screen and watched her type, “Yes, sir.”

His heart quickened its pace and his mouth went dry. He had no idea who she was texting, but he didn’t want her calling anyone sir, but him. He took a deep calming breath. She was probably just texting with another client. He needed to figure out how to become something more than just her client.

Got to love a man on a mission. I wonder what these two will find to talk about over lunch and if it will add to their sexual tension or give them more tangles. Hmm. Come back next Sunday for another snippet or find the buy links below and read it today. Their connection is definitely real, but it may be a bit tangled. <~ You can <tweet that> if you want.

Click here to add UNTANGLE ME to your Goodreads TBR list

BLURB:

Ivy’s revenge on the people behind her family’s downward spiral is simple and it’s working. There’s no need to long for help from the wealthy business owners who turned their backs on her father. Ivy may be worn out, but she’s finding herself again after joining the local BDSM club.

Seth has it all. He has homes around the world and the little red speedster he dreamed of as a little boy, but none of the things he can buy satisfy him, not the socialites hanging on his arm or the submissives falling at his feet. Then, he hires Ivy to plan his next event.

Seth and Ivy enjoy each other’s company in and out of the planning stages for Seth’s charity event. Their playful bets lead them to a first date. When their secret kinks are revealed, the pair fall deep, but it’s not meant to last. Past hurts come back to haunt Ivy. Now, it’s time for Seth to use all he’s learned, regardless if he can win back the girl.

BUY LINKS:

Evernight | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks | BookStrand

ROW80 Round 1 2014 Goals

Posted on January 12, 2014 by S.J. Maylee

This will be my ninth round of 80 days. With each round, I try to start smarter, more effective. Well, effective for whatever my current mind space looks like, lol.

A Round of Words In 80 Days or ROW80 is the writing challenge that knows you have a life. Join in at any time. State your goals and check-in on Wednesdays and or Sundays.

ROW80 has helped me keep my eyes front and butt in the chair. Since starting ROW80, I’ve been published twice by the lovely Evernight Publishing, but I’m desperate to have a backlist. I’m also desperate to publish fabulous books. These two needs are warring with each other. For me, it takes time, lots of time, to polish my writing. Hitting send too soon is the worst thing I can do right now. I need to remember this as the pressure builds on the need for that coveted backlist.

To add to the pressure, the WIP that has my full attention has been giving me trouble for months. The ending has been changed three times and it’s still not right. Finally this week, I’m seeing some progress. A read through with a new end in mind has landed me in the middle of the WIP and things are finally coming together.

This pin caught my eye the other day. I need to remember to listen to my characters. They know the way. I’ll work at shoving away the outside stresses and allow my writing/editing time to be with me and my characters alone.

I’m trusting my muse this round and I’ll arm her with what she needs. Time and attention. I believe if I put in the work and commit to my characters, that backlist will be mine.

My goals this round will be much the same as last. I’ll continue to reach for focus and work on not letting the pressure bubble over.

My goals below are in addition to my evil day job, volunteer duties, and my family.

The Goals – Round 1 2014

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting
Take care of and be kind to myself

Here’s to a fabulous round of 80-days.

Flash Fiction #54 – Finally

Posted on January 10, 2014 by S.J. Maylee

Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.

Kelly shuffled into the gym at the end of her block. She promised herself she wouldn’t pass it again without going in. Standing alone looking at her hands, she considered running home.

“Can I help you, miss?”

“Ah.” No more words would come. Her mind lost in utter envy of the light and how it rolled over his bare shoulders and licked at his rippling abs. “I mean I wanted to sign up.”

“Finally. I was wondering when you’d come in.” His gaze seared into hers. “Come. I need to hang a new bag and then we’ll set you up.”

Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.

J S Morbius: http://morbiussworld.blogspot.co.uk/
Doris O’Connor: http://thetardisscribbles.blogspot.co.uk/
K.A. Sullivan: http://Wildfire8470.Wordpress.Com/
Davee Jones: http://finless.blogspot.com/
AuroraRose Andromeda: http://rollingmuseintheroses.blogspot.com/
Raven McAllan: http://ravenmcallan.blogspot.com/
Jorja Lovett: http://jorja-lovett.blogspot.co.uk/
Pablo Michaels (Michael T Jordan): http://www.pmmanmanromance.com
Muffy Wilson: http://muffywilson.blogspot.com
Faberge Nostromo: http://fabergenostromo.blogspot.co.uk
Naomi Shaw: www.authornaomishaw.com

Weekend Writing Warriors – A Tangle of Need

Posted on January 5, 2014 by S.J. Maylee

Click the logo for the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. Today, I’m sharing from my second release, UNTANGLE ME.

Ivy is a young event planner and she’s completely smitten with her newest client, the ultra successful businessman, Seth. However, Seth is not the type of guy Ivy wants in her life. LAST WEEK: Seth demanded Ivy join him for lunch. THIS WEEK: I’ve skipped ahead a little bit. Now that Seth has Ivy all to himself, let’s see how he’s doing.

Today, he’d finally get the chance to know the woman who’d been charming him all week.

It certainly wasn’t going to be easy. He didn’t know what he’d done, but she no longer treated him the same way. Maybe after seeing him last night, she thought he was too old for her, which he probably was.

He pushed his hand through his hair and stole a look at Ivy.

Her phone buzzed again. She pulled her legs up and her skirt inched higher on her thighs. He shifted in his seat and squeezed his hands into fists.

It seems that Ivy isn’t the only one with concerns. Are these two ever going to get it together? Come back next Sunday for another snippet or find the buy links below and read it today. Their connection is definitely real, but it may be a bit tangled. <~ You can <tweet that> if you want.

Click here to add UNTANGLE ME to your Goodreads TBR list

BLURB:

Ivy’s revenge on the people behind her family’s downward spiral is simple and it’s working. There’s no need to long for help from the wealthy business owners who turned their backs on her father. Ivy may be worn out, but she’s finding herself again after joining the local BDSM club.

Seth has it all. He has homes around the world and the little red speedster he dreamed of as a little boy, but none of the things he can buy satisfy him, not the socialites hanging on his arm or the submissives falling at his feet. Then, he hires Ivy to plan his next event.

Seth and Ivy enjoy each other’s company in and out of the planning stages for Seth’s charity event. Their playful bets lead them to a first date. When their secret kinks are revealed, the pair fall deep, but it’s not meant to last. Past hurts come back to haunt Ivy. Now, it’s time for Seth to use all he’s learned, regardless if he can win back the girl.

BUY LINKS:

Evernight | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks | BookStrand